An Open Window
by Exira Young
Summary: Jack only asked for one thing when he became a Guardian. (On Hiatus, rewriting)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So this is my first 'Rise of the Guardians' fanfiction, so I'm hoping I won't disappoint anyone with the way I wrote it. This was a plot bunny that just attacked me from nowhere, so I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know how I did and if you want more chapters. I hope you ****enjoy! **

_Jack whooped as he flew through the sky, the wind whistling around him in answer to his cheers. It bounced him up and down in a joyful sort of dance that only the wind and its companion could perform and Jack was elated it was he who was lucky enough to perform it. _

_He had just finished giving snow to four countries and played with the Burgess kids, showing them how to have an epic snowball fight and make snow-angels the right way. Now he was headed to the North Pole for the monthly Guardian meeting that North and Tooth insisted they have, if only to make sure everyone was progressing in their duties. Honestly, Jack didn't care much for their reasoning as long as he got to see them all again. _

_So Jack flew and cheered with the wind, eager to see his family again and tell them all the cool things his believers had shared with him and annoy Bunny. He wanted to ask North if he could help make prototypes with his ice and see Baby Tooth. He wanted to see what new dreams Sandy had found and maybe make a few new ones of his own. _

_Jack thought about all of this as he flew and soon, he was approaching North's workshop. He smiled a bright, true smile- the kind Tooth and her fairies always squealed over- and approached the window leading to the globe room where he would meet with the others until they decided to head to the library to start their meeting. Eventually they would all end up in the kitchen where they would eat the cookies and hot chocolate that the yetis and elves made and then they would all straggle away to some other part of the workshop where they could take quietly about anything and everything that wasn't related to their duties and just relax. Then, Sandy and Tooth would leave to do their jobs and Bunny would head back to his Warren to continue painting or get some sleep and Jack would be faced with the decision of either staying with North or sleeping somewhere outside. _

_His smile faded into a small fond grin as he came to the decision that tonight he would be staying in the room North had made for him. What harm could it do? He was a bit tired of sleeping on branches and in snowbanks. A bed would be a nice and welcome change. _

_And so, with that decided, Jack reached the window. His smile faded, however, when he realized that the window was closed and the globe room was dimmer than usual. He could see shapes moving around in the room, but the window was so fogged up he couldn't figure out who they were. He moved his hand to open the window, figuring they had simply forgotten that he always used this one or that Bunny simply got too cold, but as he pushed against it, he realized it was locked. Becoming frantic, he shook the window harder, hoping to loosen the lock and when that didn't work, he began banging on the window. Nobody answered. _

_Breathing heavily, Jack rushed from window to window, only to find that each window was the same. Not a single one was open or unlocked. _

_Letting out a choked sob, Jack dropped to the globe room window and knocked twice, softly, in hopes that this was all one big misunderstanding. He prayed and prayed he was wrong but when he got no answer, he let his tears fall and he slumped against the window, sobs shaking his small frame. _

"_North? Bunny? Please...let me in!" he cried and the figures inside stopped moving. Then there was a scoff and a round of heavy laughter that made a pool of dread collect in Jack's stomach. _

"_Let you in? Now why would we do that, Jack?" Bunny asked and Jack felt a pang of ice shoot into his heart. North laughed in response and slowly walked to where Jack sat outside the window. _

"_We won't let you in. We don't want you anymore, Jack. Go away. Disappear for next 300 years. We don't care," he whispered and another sob ripped itself from Jack's mouth before he was up in the air and rushing away from the hurtful words and locked windows. He cried and sobbed for his loss and the loneliness he knew was coming. He flew to the South Pole where he collapsed and cried until he was an empty shell and then…_

_Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter, disappeared from the cruel world that wanted nothing to do with him. _

Jack awoke with a startled noise that was half between a sob and a gasp, causing him to fall off of the branch he had fallen asleep on. The dream raced through his head over and over, the cruel words of North and Bunny dancing through his thoughts. He took a strangled deep breath before he grabbed his staff and lifted himself into the air on the back of the wind, who quickly reassured him that he was okay. Jack gave a wobbly smile before he softly told the wind to head to the North Pole.

He was brought there slowly so he was given a chance to think about his dream and calm himself down.

"It was only a dream. Of course they still want you," Jack reassured himself but he couldn't stop the small hiccup that accompanied those words.

The wind picked up speed, realizing that its rider needed comfort from his new friends. It didn't take long for them to reach the North Pole and Jack, feeling only slightly better, headed toward the window that lead to the globe room, the window that caused him so much pain in his dream, and found it shut. Beginning to hyperventilate, he muttered a few no's under his breath and tried to pull the window open. It was locked.

Sobs, real sobs, ripped from his mouth unheeded and anguished cries joined their sorrow. Knowing what came next and not wanting to hear the words again, Jack spun and jumped onto the wind, letting it quickly and gently carry him away from the North Pole, one small memory replaying over and over in his head.

"_**Well, Jack, you're a Guardian now! You get to ask us all for one gift!" Tooth cried, eagerly fluttering around Jack's head. He laughed and thought for a moment before he realized exactly what he wanted. **_

"_**I only want one thing from all of you. Keep your windows open for as long as you still want me, but shut and lock them when you don't," Jack said and the others exchanged looks. It wasn't what they were expecting and it sent painful jolts into all of their hearts, but they knew it was one of the only ways to assure him that they loved him, even if it didn't always seem like it. So with crying hearts, they all assured him that they would do exactly that. **_

_**Jack let the Pole that day with a lighter heart and the hopeful dream that he would never find the windows closed and locked to keep him away. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone. Welcome to chapter two of 'An Open Window'! This one involves the other Guardians, mostly Bunny and North. It didn't quite turn out like I expected it to, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. **

**For the next chapter, do you want me to continue in the original guardian's points of view, switch to Jack's again, or go over to Pitch, who will play a part in this fic? (I haven't decided if it'll be a big or small part yet, but he will be appearing at some point.) **

* * *

"Oi! North! Where'd ya hide the chocolate mix?" Bunny called as he hopped out from the large kitchen filled with yetis to the hectic toy-making area. North looked up at Bunny's call, a look of confusion flittering across his face for just a second before realization set in.

"Ah. The mix is gone, yes?" he replied, thundering his way across the floor to reach Bunny's side. Bunny gave a low groan of disappointment. He needed something to warm him up and he wasn't in the mood for cider, no matter what kind, and even though he knew the consequences of having chocolate, he found that he couldn't be bothered to care about that right then.

"What else have ya got ta drink? I'm freezing here!" Bunny cried and North gave a hearty laugh, clapping Bunny roughly on the back before making his way to the globe room, Bunny right on his heels.

"Warm up by fire then! Is toasty, no?" Bunny grumbled a bit but didn't say anything to North. Instead he hopped along quickly to the room where he froze at the sound of a rattling window and then a harsh and choked sob. Eyes widening and ears flattening against his head, Bunny rushed over to the windows where he found, to his horror, that the window Jack always, _always_, used was closed and locked tight.

With no small amount of alarm and dread, Bunny hurriedly unlocked the window and threw it open, hoping to see the young winter spirit outside nearby where he could try to explain things. Instead, he saw the boy being rushed away at a pace too difficult to follow by the wind, his harsh cries only faintly reaching the large Pooka.

"North!" he bellowed, turning on his heels and rushing from the room, running straight into the fat man. "North, ya gotta grab the sleigh! Ya gotta hurry before Frostbite gets too far!" Bunny cried, his words stumbling over each other in their haste to escape his mouth. North threw his hands up, face looking horribly confused.

"Bunny! Bunny, slow down, da? Can't understand your gibberish speak! What is this about sleigh and Jack?" North asked, concern growing for the spirit.

"His window was locked, North! He thinks we don't want 'im anymore! Get your sleigh, call the others, we hafta go get him!" Bunny cried and a pit of horror wrenched itself open in North's belly.

"Phil! Call others, get them here! Quickly, no time to waste! Jack needs us!" North yelled, already stomping his way towards his sleigh. Phil ran off, having heard what Bunny had said and understanding the seriousness of the situation, and Bunny _scampered_ after North, fear manifesting in large amounts for the winter youngling he had quickly become attached to.

It only took Tooth and Sandy a few minutes to get there and get informed about the situation, but they all knew that Jack could disappear forever in only a few minutes.

So with heavy hearts and great chasms of dismay in their stomachs, they boarded the sleigh and took off into the wintery night, eyes and ears eagerly searching for their fleeing and broken family member.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey again, everyone! So here's the next installment. I hope you all enjoy it! I took some advice and made the chapter slightly longer than the others but I was so eager to get something posted for you guys that it isn't longer by a whole lot. Sorry. I can assure you, though, that next time I post, the chapter will be much longer. I don't want to disappoint anyone, after all! **

* * *

The air surrounding the Guardians was tense as they soared through the open sky. Nobody said a word as their eyes roamed over the sky and anything tall enough to enter their line of vision, such as mountains or skyscrapers. They flew for nearly forty minutes before Bunny finally broke the silence with a growl of frustration.

"This is useless! We'll never find the bloody ankle biter at this rate! Tha' blasted wind a his will keep 'im hidden!" he shouted, a furry paw running itself over his large ears in a blatant sign of distress.

"How are we supposed to talk to the wind? It won't listen to us; not when it thinks we hurt Jack," Tooth whispered quietly. There was silence and stillness for another minute. Then Sandy tapped Tooth's shoulder and quickly made signs for her.

"We need to appeal to the wind? Tell it that we didn't mean to hurt Jack?" Sandy nodded once in satisfaction. "Will that work? Will it really believe us? I mean, surely it knows about the promise we made to Sweet Tooth. The window _was _closed and locked," she murmured. Bunny's ears perked at that statement. He had buried that tidbit of information in the rush and need to get to Jack.

"About tha'. Why was the window locked, North? Ya still want 'im, don't ya?" Bunny asked. North gave a yell of indignation.

"Of course I still want boy! He is family, no?" There were nods all around. "Good. I do not know why window was closed. Was not me. Was not elves or yetis. All love boy too much. Is good for games and stress relieving."

"If it wasn't the elves or yetis and it wasn't you, then who was it? Sandy and I haven't been there since our last meeting and it's obvious it wasn't Bunny," Tooth stated in confusion. There was no one else who could've shunned Jack like that.

"What...What if it was Pitch? We all know how much he hates Jack. What if this is a plot ta get back at 'im?" Bunny asked in a horrified whisper.

There was utter silence as the other froze. Then Tooth broke out into a flurry of motion.

"No! No it can't be! It's too early for him to be back. He can't be strong enough. No. No no no no no. It is _not_ Pitch!" she denied vehemently. Before anyone could say anything else, the sleigh was knocked violently to the side. Tooth gave a startled scream, Sandy fell from his seat, and Bunny and North let out curses.

"What tha bloody hell was tha'?" Bunny shouted, hands grasping for boomerangs.

"Is nightmares! Is Pitch attacking! We must find Jack!" North shouted and snapped the reigns harshly, prompting his reindeer to faster. They made it about another four feet before three more nightmares slammed into the side of the sleigh. Bunny hopped up and ignored the fact that if he fell out of the sleigh he would become pooka paste and started aiming at the incoming nightmares as Tooth and Sandy both left the sled to attack.

"Do not worry, Jack. We are coming," North murmured under his breath. And then all hell broke loose.

**Jack's POV**

Jack landed somewhere in Antarctica almost an hour later, sobs still ripping themselves from his throat. He curled himself into a ball, knees tucked up into chin, arms wrapped around his legs desperately. The wind gently curled around him, giving him the best hug it could manage.

"Why don't they want me anymore? What did I do? Why does this always happen to me?" Jack begged the wind for answers. He just wanted a family, somebody to love him. Why was that too much to ask? Didn't he deserve it after saving his sister and being alone for 300 years?

The wind felt a stab of sorrow for it's boy. He was finally so happy and with other spirits and now here he was, alone and broken in a frozen tundra. Then it felt a boiling rage directed towards the Guardians. How dare they lead his boy on for so long and crush him so completely! They had no right!

"What am I doing wrong?" Jack whimpered quietly, snapping the wind from it's anger. Before the wind could give him a reassuring brush of breeze, another voice spoke.

"Everything. You're just a useless child who does nothing but spread misery and death. It was only sensible that they discard you, just like everyone else." The voice was dark and slimy, making shivers run down Jack's spine. Then Jack jolted up into a sitting position but before he could say anything, the shadows around him lashed towards him and sucked him into their black depths, Pitch's laugh the last thing Jack heard before he was swallowed whole.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again and sorry for the long wait! I don't want to make excuses but I hit a bit of a writer's block. No worries though! I've completely overcome it and have got the next chapter written and ready to go for Monday. I'll also try posting to my other story, Destroyed, then as well. Without further ado, here's the next installment (which is really more of a filler). Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The Guardians fought with everything they were worth but it still took them much longer than they would have liked to finish the fight and continue on their way. They knew they were close to Jack, knew that they had won the fight much too easily and dread pulsed in each of their hearts at North quickly flew them towards the darkest area in Antarctica, a darkness that was much too thick and all encompassing to be natural.

"We must hurry. Pitch is here," North muttered to the other three who nodded or murmured their agreements. North gave another snap of his reigns and quickly steered the sleigh towards the ground where he could faintly hear small sobs that tore at his heart and the heart of the others.

"Oh Jack," Tooth whispered, her hands clenching tightly into the feathers of her legs. Bunny gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and Sandy gently grabbed one of her hands.

"We'll help 'im, sheila. It might take awhile, but he'll come 'round. Always does," Bunny told her. She nodded once in acknowledgement before the sleigh touched the ground. They all jumped out and started towards Jack when they saw Pitch appear in front of him.

"No!" North whispered loudly before picking up his pace, Sandy directly behind him and Bunny and Tooth rushing ahead of him. They were close when they saw the tendrils snap towards Jack, pulling him into them, Pitch disappearing along with them after one last smug laugh in their direction.

"No! Jack! Jack!" Tooth screamed as she flit towards the dissipating darkness, desperation showing clearly through her voice.

"Pitch, ya coward! Get back 'ere and fight like a man, ya bloody wanker!" Bunny screamed. He had pulled out his boomerangs and clenched them tightly, his ears flattened against his head threateningly and fur standing up straight. There was no reply.

"We must find him. Quickly. Pitch will not be kind," North said angrily as he reached them and began pacing back and forth quickly, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"Obviously," Bunny bit back. "Do ya think he brought 'im back ta his lair? The one by Frostbite's lake?" he asked quietly, grip loosening slightly on his boomerangs.

"Is possible. Can not hurt to check, might find clues, no? At any rate, have no better leads," North murmured back, plans already racing through his mind. Sandy looked around them, searching for any sort of clue. Finding nothing, his shoulders slumped dejectedly before he noticed a very thin trail of floating black sand twisting through the air. Furrowing his eyes, Sandy approached it, wondering if Pitch was trying to trick them. What he found instead, however, was that the wind was holding the sand in its grip, obviously ready to escort them as best as it could to Jack.

* * *

Pitch continued laughing as he and the boy appeared back in his newest lair which rested deep in the depths of a cave in the mountain range of Pyrenees at its highest point, Aneto. It would take awhile for the Guardians to find them, of that he was sure, so he knew he could have some fun with the boy before he started his grand plan of defeating the Guardians once and for all. First though, he had to wait for the boy to wake and remember everything that had happened to him that day.

Then, though, the real games could begin. He would show Jack Frost what fun was.

* * *

Jack's dreams were dark and full of shadowy figures that whispered harsh words into his ears, words that cut straight into his soul. He fought desperately to wake up but found that he just sunk deeper into his nightmares. He knew that that meant he should stop struggling but it was in his nature to fight back with all his worth when there was a possibility of escape, of reprieve. He couldn't make himself stop struggling. So he sunk deeper and deeper until he was hopelessly lost and completely stuck.

* * *

The wind howled as it watched Jack be snatched away right out of its grip. Its only consolation was that the Guardians were there and very obviously ready and willing to get its boy back. So it grabbed some of the evil sand and squashed down on it, holding it in place and dragging it in the direction of its boy, hoping with its entire soul that the Guardians would be able to find it and understand that it would lead them straight to where they wanted to go. Sure, it would take time to get there, time the wind knew Jack didn't really have, but it was better than waiting for them to search everywhere fruitlessly and keep Jack in Pitch's grip longer than was healthy. For any of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey again! So here's the newest chapter (and I think my longest yet)! I plan on updating again on Saturday so be looking forward to that. I have a lot of things coming towards you really fast so just bear with me. All questions will eventually be answered and we'll get some more Jack!whump! **

* * *

Pitch watched Jack quietly as he circled the boy whom he had laid upon an uncomfortable rock slab. The boy was thrashing weakly, unable to move very much in the bonds that strapped his hands and legs to the rock. His face was contorted in fear and pain and the scent of his fear was potent enough to create three nightmares out of thin air and feed Pitch until he was overly full.

"So much power given to me through such a small being. How fascinating," he murmured, stopping at Jack's head. "I wonder what you dream of right now. You've gotten yourself so lost that not even I can see what's going on in that head of yours," Pitch sneered. His only answer was a weak whimper that brought a delighted smile to his lips.

"I do wish you would wake up but no matter. I can be patient. It will be worth it."

One of the nightmares gave a soft neigh that drew Pitch's attention to it. It was a stunning horse, obviously a female, and very obviously more powerful and ethereal than his own were. He briefly wondered why that was, seeing as it was _his_ speciality, making nightmares. That thought fled his mind, however, as the mare stepped up to him and gave another low neigh. Pitch's eyes narrowed darkly as he flashed a snarl towards the unconscious body of Jack.

"So your wind wants to play games and ruin our fun, does it? Perhaps I should let them come and fall into an eternal abyss of darkness where they will just fall eternally. Or perhaps I'll trap them and make them watch as I slowly kill you. Both options sound so very tempting," he growled. The boy gave a high pitched whine in reply and Pitch could tell he was weakening, therefore rising from the depths of sleep.

Smoothing out his eyebrows, Pitch turned back to the nightmare and it's companions, face impassive as he thought. What would he do with the Guardians? He could not hurt the wind as it had no form and was known to be a powerful being nonetheless. His time with the frost spirit was very obviously getting shorter and shorter with every minute that passed, meaning he had to kick things into gear now, but the boy wasn't ready yet and quite frankly, neither was he. He wanted to see the boy beg and scream. He wanted to break him before he started his grand plan. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. Not with so little time left.

Pitch let out a roar and sent a blast of dark sand towards the walls of the cave. It was time to start, readiness be damned.

* * *

Sandy hurried rushed towards North and began to frantically pull on the giant's coat, quickly catching his attention. Furrowing his brow in concern at the panicked but hopeful look on the golden man's face, North quickly clapped his hands, catching the attention of Tooth and Bunny.

"What is it, Sandy? Must be finding Jack now," he rumbled. Sandy nodded his head quickly and pointed towards the thin stream of wriggling sand. The brows of his companions furrowed and Bunny bent down to sniff and study it.

"Blimey mate, this is Pitch's! Ya think he might be leadin' us ta Jack?" Sandy nodded once.

"But why would he do that? Wouldn't he want to...hurt...Jack for a while?" Tooth whispered, confused and worried. North and Bunny exchanged glances, thinking furiously. Sandy attempted to make them understand with his sand but only succeeded in confusing them more. Then a strong, sudden gust of wind gushed past them, so powerful they all stumbled forward in the direction the sand was heading. When uncertain glances were traded, another gust hit them and Bunny was struck with realization.

"It's tha wind! It's gonna lead us straight ta Jack!" he exclaimed, ears perked excitedly. Tooth gave a grin as North whooped and Sandy gave a sigh of relief that they had figured it out somewhat quickly.

"What are we waiting for? Jack needs us, no?" North shouted and scrambled back towards his sleigh, the other three right behind him. "Sandy, old friend, must ask you to stay near sand and lead way. Will work better." Sandy nodded in confirmation before he floated in front of the reindeer.

The others climbed in quickly and got settled before North was yelling out to the animals and snapping his reigns, quickly making the sleigh lift from the ground.

"Yah! Go, go! No time to waste! Follow Sandy!" North bellowed at the reindeer who immediately followed his orders.

* * *

Jack didn't know how long he had been struggling before he realized that he was steadily getting weaker. He guessed it had been hours, maybe days. He felt exhausted but completely terrified. His nightmares had been full of blood and hate. He had watched his family die over and over again at his own hands and had watched as the Guardians kicked him out, shunned him, time after time. It sickened him.

The only reason he realized he was getting weaker was because the nightmares were slowly but steadily getting easier to bear, meaning he was closer to waking up. He still didn't want to stop his struggles but he also wanted to escape the tortures of his own mind. But Jack was conflicted. He didn't want to be forced the face his mind, but he didn't want to face Pitch either. Neither sounded good for him and he didn't think he could last very long against either in the state he was in. He cursed Pitch silently for his timing.

Why had he decided to strike now? The entire mess was a little too convenient to Jack but under all the stress he had endured, his mind was too tired to draw conclusions and connect the dots so he didn't spend too much time thinking about it. Instead he put his energy and remaining mental capacities towards waking up and preparing to see Pitch. He knew he was in for a world of hurt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! I know, I know, it's been a ****_really _****long time and I promised to update soon, but things kind of got away from me. But here you go! Another chapter. Things are speeding up and everything will be explained next chapter. I'm not going to make a promise on when that will be out, but I will tell you that I am uploading a new fanfic as well, so be on the lookout for that if you're a fan of ****_Fullmetal Alchemist_****! **

* * *

The Guardians flew as fast and as hard as they could, desperate to reach their endangered family member. North was frantically snapping the reins, Tooth was fluttering anxiously, lifting herself up and then settling back down while wringing her hands, Bunny was playing with his boomerangs, and Sandy was twisting his hands back and forth as he led the others. None of them knew what to expect and none were looking forward to whatever it was that Pitch had planned for their youngest.

"I see mountain! Will take hour before reaching it!" North suddenly yelled. Tooth and Bunny perked up, looking ahead of them eagerly. The hour it would take would feel like eternity but they had found the place much faster than they had hoped they would thanks to the help of the wind. Soon they would have their boy back, Pitch would be begging for mercy, and they could fix this whole issue with Jack. Things would get better.

They had to.

* * *

Jack gave himself three minutes to prepare to face Pitch. He knew that wasn't much time, but honestly, he just kind of wanted the whole thing over and done with. Pitch would find out sooner rather than later that he was awake and either begin by taunting him or throwing him right back into the nightmares. He wanted to put an end to that before it even began so with a quick intake of breath, he opened his eyes and met the molten golden ones that belonged to Pitch.

* * *

Pitch stood over the limp figure that was Jack, a stunningly dangerous dagger in one hand and a dark bowl in the other. He knew the boy was awake, had known the second he stopped dreaming, and was simply waiting for him to open his eyes.

He was smug when they opened and he was met with shock and terror.

"Hello, Jack. Enjoy your little nap?" Pitch sneered. Jack's eyes narrowed before they flicked from dagger to bowl and back to his face.

"What are you doing, Pitch?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"I'm going to kill you and make the Guardians pay with the help of one of my new friends, that's all. I assure you it will be very painful for you."

Jack's eyes had widened in fear once more and Pitch took a small amount of time to revel in the delightful taste of it before he pinned the boy down, conjured a small black table to the left side of Jack's head, and placed the bowl upon it. Then he raised the dagger high and began to chant a prayer he had been told by his newest 'friend', and Jack began to cry in terror.

* * *

The Guardians flew as fast as they could, hoping to cut the hour long travel shorter. A dark feeling was creeping up inside of them all and they knew that their time was being cut even shorter. They knew that Pitch had somehow found out that they were coming, and now they were eager to just get there, get rid of Pitch, and get their boy back. They had a lot of explaining and reassuring to do, and nothing was going to get in their way.

Nothing.

* * *

Wind knew that things were bad and getting worse. It was have to be stupid not to. But Wind also knew that Jack could pull through anything that was thrown at him. He just had know that there were those who cared about him and would be there to help him recover, no matter how long it took. And make no mistake, Wind was going to be there. Nothing and nobody was going to stand in Wind's way. There would be no way to keep Wind from protecting that which it cared about, and Jack just so happened to be the one thing Wind cared about most.

And Wind was _not_ going to lose Jack.


End file.
